Happy Friday! It was a good week, wasn’t it? Or, at least it was around these parts. Thank you again for your kind words on the first birthday of DearWendy.com and thank you for embracing the new message board as much as you have (and at the time of writing this — early Friday morning — we’re up to over 1000 forum comments, so I’d say you’ve embraced it pretty well). The board was in the pipeline for a while and it feels great to see it off to a strong start. And since we now have an active place for you to take “off-topic” conversations, I’m going to phase out the Weekend Open Threads. In their place, I’m going to start doing Friday Links, a collection of relationship-themed links from around the web. For this, I’ll need your help. My web-surfing time is very limited these days and I don’t get around as much as I did before baby. So if you’d be so kind as to pass along links to interesting articles, photos, videos, and websites that you come across, I’d appreciate it!
By the way, after I launched the message board on Monday, I added a new topic called “DW Meetups.” If you haven’t checked it out yet and are interested in possibly meeting other DWers in your area, go here and see if your city is listed (and if it’s not, list it yourself!).
P.S. This is one of my favorite Jackson outfits to date, and since he’s about to outgrow it, I had to post it here for posterity. Thanks for indulging my mama pride.
{ 110 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh my goodness – look at that smile!! Wendy, are you sure we have to phase out the weekend open threads so fast? So much change, so fast. It’s scary for us. …
Hey, Chi-hards, check out the upcoming Chicago meetups in the DW Meetup forum – Feb. 9 and Mar. 3.
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But I love Weekend Open Threads! You always pick such nice topics of things that make me think and smile all weekend.
Onto more important things…Jack is getting way too cute!
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Agreed! I think last weekend’s thread was my favorite. P.s., lbh, I haven’t mentioned this but I always smile when I see you comment “amiright??” I guess that was a random thought but there you go.
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Another random thought-I have yet to adjust to you not really being the girl in the black and white picture from the 1800s. I don’t think I ever will.
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I should switch back, huh? I’m not sure I have adjusted or that I ever will either. There was so much change this week; change is scary; I should switch back. Oh the stress.
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I know! I already miss the open threads. It’s probably only a little bit because I haven’t gotten in on the forum action yet. But if there is still weekend open threads all the weekend randomness can be on one post! And then the classier weekday randomness is in the forum.
Okay fine, i’m just resisting the forum, but still.
Side note – Jackson and I wear the same socks – and I think that’s neat.
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The problem with the threads is it’s hard to lurk and keep up with all the random conversations because you have to, gasp, actually go open and read each forum. Exhausting! … Though I still do it.) And if you have favorite commenters you follow, like I do, you can’t just click on their comment in the thread when you see their name listed in the recent comments side bar, because recent comments in the thread are noted on the side by topic and not commenter. (I’ve been over-analyzing this.) Having said that, there’s no reason why we can’t just go crazy with comments on the last posting on Friday… amiright? (says lhb).
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I’ve been home for 30 minutes and had two beers already. Is that weird?
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thats not weird to me…. lol
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Katie! Will you also add my vote to the Colorado forum about 17th street meet up. I’m down! And I vote for Happy Hours. I get loosy-goosy after a few and find life a lot more enjoyable.
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On TGIFs 2 beers is just getting started…:-)
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No. My boss told me to go home and start drinking.
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*laugh* I doubt I’ll ever make it to a DW GT in the lower 48, and unless people start flocking to me, well, I’m the lone arctic DW’er. Well… sub-arctic. I’m not above the arctic line yet. I was once.
In *sunny* Anchorage, it’s a balmy -5 at my building (http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?zoneid=AKZ101) and the ice fog is starting to lift around the midtown area. We’re supposed to warm up to the teens on Monday and see three days of snow (yay! we’ll see triple digit snow accumulation this year! RECORD!).
I even dressed up for work. Purple nails, purple lipstick, purple socks and shirt, Donatello Ninja Turtle fleece/knit hat. Creepy!
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Temperatures in the balmy teens, eh? I think I’d like Alaska. I love the cold and snow. And I hate flip flops, shorts, and tank tops. (That’s weird of me, right?)
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We do actually wear shorts, tank tops and flip flops in the winter. Well, some of us do. After a cold snap, once it hits the 20s/30s – yeah, the majority of us are even shedding hoodies and are walking around in t-shirts and enjoying the “heatwave”. Even the newscasters call double digits (i.e. 10-15 degrees above 0) a “heatwave” when we’ve been seeing negatives during the day. Gotta remember, if it’s negative during the day, unless there’s a storm, we’re seeing at least 10-15 degrees less at night, plus windchill. Last night, we had -18 at my house, not including the winds. And we were fairly warm.
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I can commiserate (sort of)…living in ND now, and we’ve had a pretty mild winter, but last week we saw some days where the high was -10 or -12. So when it was up to the 20s this week it seemed downright hot!!
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Not sure if this link will work – but here’s what some of us do at -40.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=10150490617897703
Yes… we’re morons. But it’s a great teaching tool for kids who want to be “cool” and not wear the proper gear outside.
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How do I not know that?? (I’m Canadian.) Last week it was -40s with the windchill (Celsius, I think that’s -50ish F) and if I had know this trick then I would totally have done it.
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I think I would absolutely freeze in Alaska. I’m sure some of our friends from the southern hemisphere have even warmer weather; but I love my FL temperatures. The closest it’s been since I’ve lived here (8 months) was one night in the 30′s. The winter has been averaging 50′s for the lows and 80 during the day. So nice.
I would like to see a moose though.
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I’m in Argentina and we had a few days of 104°F/40°C a couple of weeks ago (And we’re at the southern end of the continent, so it’s “cold” down here). I complain a lot when it gets that hot, but since my skin is pretty dark I have to stay in warm sunny places, or I end up looking all yellow and gross.
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I love our heat, except for the humidity of Bs As! But, I am terribly pale, and my daughters are as well, so I have to be SO careful with the sun!
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I know some goth kids in Buenos Aires who carry a parasol with them all summer. Maybe you could try some? Though I doubt you can get a 4-year-old to use one of those properly and not to stab other children’s eyes.
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hahaha, she does love umbrellas, but since she even tries to sleep with them they don´t last too long!
For now I bathe them in SPF 65, light clothes and hats, and try not to go out at the worst times.
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Well, fine. Maybe I’ll keep the open threads going. But I need help coming up with discussion topics. It gets challenging thinking of something brand new every week, so send me your ideas!
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Phew. Catastrophe averted. Here are some topics: … I got nothing. Damn this *is* hard.
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Topics: Favorite 90s cartoon show/character, food item you can’t give up, dream vacation destination, worst vacation, favorite tv show (not on air anymore), go-to movie when you’re sick…
I can keep going…
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Show off.
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*wiggles her nose at Addie Pray*
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Ok, I got some: why white wine sucks; suitable non-legal careers for Addie Pray; favorite yoga pose (savasana); favorite Chik-fil-A chicken concoction; crazy SILs; … But these are really every day topics.
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I highly disagree that white wine sucks. I do think that sweet white wine sucks though. Pinot Grigio is dry as can be and I love it.
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Haha you would pick savasana. I like horse anything. Especially when you lift weights while doing it. Talk about an ass burner.
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your mom’s an ass burner. oh snap! (i don’t know, i’m delirious today.)
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I just ate Chik-fil-A for lunch. Delicious. I ordered a side of fries too cause I can never get enough!!
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… cause those are the best fries in the whole wide world, objectively speaking!
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AP I drank some super sweet wonderfully delicous moscato tonight and thought of you! Well how much you would rather have the red wine sitting on my counter
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Addie Pray, you are wrong, wrong, wrong. Make a trip to my area of Germany and I will introduce you to some wonderful “Frankenwein” opportunities. The one that I drink most often is called Silvaner. Served chilled from the refrigerator (or my balcony in the winter), it’s wonderful. Wendy’s mom (the Queen) prefers Bacchus, which is “halbtrocken” or half-dry. Silvenaner is very dry. Wendy can attest that the wine here is very inexpensive, so come take a European vacation and we’ll get you liking white wine before you leave. By the way, “Frankenwein” has nothing to do with Frankenstein! It refers to wine that comes from Franken (Franconia in English).
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Watch out, Wendy’s Dad, very, very soon I may be taking a trip around the world, with stops all over Europe…
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If it´s a wine tour you´ll have to go to Mendoza then, supposedly some of the best reds in the world
and an absolutely amazing province to visit!
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Oh and those names sound like Harry Potter characters. (Having never actually read or seen Harry Potter.)
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White Wine does suck. I second this topic.
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Yay! I really look forward to the Weekend Open Thread! Maybe add a “Suggestions for Weekend Open Thread” to the forum list and then pick one by Friday? Though I’m still having trouble registering (I never get my password emailed to me), so I can’t participate in the “Forum” section
Where are my flying monkeys when I need them!
BTW Jackson is absolutely adorable!
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My ideas- hardest life decision you’ve ever made, what would you change about your life today, something about siblings- maybe about rivalry or birth order?
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Perfect timing! I just started happy hour and the ideas are a-flowin!
1. Biggest regret of your life. (This has to be followed by a paragraph explaining that commenters aren’t allowed to say “waaaah I don’t have any regrets – everything happens for a reeeeaaaaason.” Blech. I hate that answer).
2. If you weren’t married/in a relationship with your SO, what would you do differently next time you were in a relationship.
3. If money was not an issue, how would you spend your time? Like would you be a foster parent? A yoga instructor? Watch a lot of TV? Adopt a shit ton of dogs (you know my answer).
4. If you were actually allowed to change someone, what would you change about your significant other?
5. Same as 4 but about one of your family members
6. How do you think the way you were raised reflects how you feel about parenting? Like are you doing everything your parents did? Or are you paving your own way, or doing the exact opposite?
7. Everyone talk about your animals. Like I would talk about how I fully acknowledge when Sampson dies i’m going to have to take a week off of work.
8. What is the friendship you have lost in your life that you miss the most and why? And would you ever consider reconnecting?
That’s all I got for now, I gotta tipsy-ly finish making chicken enchillads! But I might be back later to think of more!
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You should take the bar drunk – you on fire tipsy!
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Don’t think it hasn’t crossed my mind Addie.
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Eh, maybe save the drinking for *afterward*. Hey, I had a friend get stung by a bee in the eye in the bar exam room just seconds before the test began. It really sucked to be him! He passed. And with only one functioning eye. Ergo, you can do it!
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Ugh. I just finished my second mock bar day. All day yesterday and all day today. I’m drinking beer again. Weird.
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that’s a pretty awesome list!
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Great list. I’d love to start answering, but I’ve got to leave the office in 8 minutes and we’ve got accidents all over midtown, including a 75 y.o. who ran off the International/Minnesota overpass near my house (he survived and is okay, truck no so much). My 5 minute drive may be longer, especially with the ice and idiots on the road. Lately, I’ve been dealing with “wanderers”. Idiots who are inebriated/high as a kite walking in the middle of the road trying to get drivers to stop so they can bum rides/money from them. I finally convinced the ED to let me carry my Makarov in my truck again (we aren’t allowed weapons on company property, due to the nature of our clientele).
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I think you’re kinda great – especially your stories. I used to tell people that if I failed the bar I was going to move to Alaska – as in i’d be so embarrassed I would have to move somewhere away from everything, but i’m not going to lie the place is growing on me because of you. People cracked out during the day – on the regular?
I mean that’s great.
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I think we need a best and/or worst dates thread. That would be hilarious.
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agreed!!!
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I haven’t had too many terrible dates. I did have a blind date call the cabbie “brother,” “boss,” and something else equally ridiculous (was it “big man?” I don’t remember), all within, like 5 minutes. I knew then it was never going to work out.
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You should probably post a picture of the baby every Friday! He’s so cute!
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Agreed!
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That outfit is so freaking cute!
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Rachel! I read the forum about Colorado and i’m in. I just haven’t registered for the forum section yet. By the way do you have a puggle? Because the love of my life is a puggle, and that looks EXACTLY like him. Like I could give that picture to someone and tell them it’s Sampson.
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i knew i remembered that you were from colorado…. lol i dont remember when i read that though. hmmm..
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Yeah, I rep the 303. I live in Arvada “technically”. But you wanna hike a 14er this summer? I am always so mad I don’t take advantage of all the cool Colorado things. Like I can go snowboarding tomorrow. And then everyday in the summer I can go rafting, or hiking, or mountain horseback riding. I am a disgrace.
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haha well if it makes you feel better i dont do that stuff either! i am not an outdoorsy person, really at all.. but a 14er? that is something that i should do. haha. im down!
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oh and i went to high school in arvada! go panthers!! haha
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Did you graduate from either A-west or Ralston Valley? My husband graduated from Ralston Valley in 2004 and my brother in law from Awest in 2006.
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no, i went to pomona. awest were our big rivals though so ive been there a million times.
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What year did you graduate? I am kind of obsessed with discovering how small the world is – so if you knew either of them my life will come full circle.
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haha that would be crazy! i graduated in 08… but, even if i may have been there at the same time with them, i didnt know anyone outside of pomona.. i didnt even know i was going to pomona until the day before school started, so i went there knowing nobody. it was super scary! so i hadnt gone to elementary or middle school with all the same people like everyone else had- that was usually how you ended up with friends in different high schools, because you went to middle school together.
but still, thats cool.
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did they play sports?
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Yep, that’s my puggle, Toby
Yay, I’m glad there is interest in a Colorado meetup! You should register for the forum already, so you can join in the conversation.
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As is the little guy in it of course
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He looks like a tiny jockey, or mobster.
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Oh my goodness WendyJackson is growing like a weed! He is developing into quite the handsome babe! And that outfit is too cute!
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What a cutie!!! With that smile and the nonchalant hands-in-pockets pose he’s gonna be breaking hearts before you know it!
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If you don’t mind me asking Wendy where did you get that onesie? I would love to get one like that for my friend’s little boy. Jackson is adorable by the way! Great little smile.
Thank you again for the community you’ve built here at Dear Wendy. My day would definitely be nowhere near as fun as it is now without it!
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Thanks. The onesie is from Old Navy, but I don’t think they sell it anymore. I got it in the fall along with about 11 others, all for, like $40. They served us well.
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Ahh too bad, I do love Old Navy’s baby stuff!
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QUESTION. (Not related to anything. I, too, am at happy hour and bored).
One of my boyfriend’s friends once said something that doesn’t sit right with me. He said that I can do better than my bf, but my bf can’t do better than me. Besides being incredibly rude, it’s insulting to both of us. So I haven’t said anything to my boo about it because I don’t want to come between him and his friend, but now I feel uncomfortable around the friend.
(HA! Swype just made uncomfortable = unconquerable and around = stripping)
Anyway… What was my question? Thoughts?
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maybe, well hopefully, that was a thing that guys say that wouldnt offend the other one… you know, guys offend each other out of love, right? so maybe it wouldnt come between your boyfriend and his friend if you told him… like, maybe your boyfriend would be like, “totally! i am so lucky she puts up with me!” or whatever…
also, i think the whole “you can do better” arguement is always wrong, so i wouldnt put much stock into what someone else thinks about who you could “get” or not …
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Yeah, he has a weird rating system too. The first time I met him, he basically forced me to rate him on a scale of 1 -10, and told me I’m a “9″. Which, I’m flattered, btw, but inappropriate much?
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yea, your probably dealing with one of those obsessive people … he probably rates everyone he sees everyday! thats weird. i have met some of them too… the really weird thing is when they cant seem to fathom that a “3″ would date a “7″, or whatever, and there all- why are they even together??? umm… maybe because they enjoy each others company? i dunno…
yea i wouldnt worry about what he says…
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Ha, people have said that to my husband too. You know what my response is? “Thanks! I think i’m awesome too.” It’s rude, and my favorite way to deflect rudeness is to brush that dirt off my shoulder. I think he’s just peachy, and frankly, i’m the only one boning him so really it’s only my opinion that matters.
You never know what the person’s motives are. If they are friends with your boyfriend, why would they say that? It’s weird, you just have to know it’s their own issue.
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I think people say silly things like that just to be nice. I mean, I don’t think anyone seriously sits there and weighs everyone’s attributes and then says: ok, I’ve decided, you are better than him. Roll with it and say “aw, shucks, no YOU can do better.” And then you can just go back and forth complimenting each other while you get drunker and drunker.
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Honestly, CM- it sounds like your bf’s friend is jonesing for a piece of you. HARD.
He flat out admitted that he thought you were gorgeous, and now he’s trying to convince you that you “can do better” than your bf? Yeah, he’s trying to plant the seed of dissent. Not only is your bf’s friend hella rude- it seems like he’s kind of a sucky friend.
I would just tell your bf that his friend said something that made you uncomfortable, and you would hope to limit the time you spend together as a group. It’s not putting a limitation on his friendship, but it is keeping you out of the mix.
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Ughhhhhh I was just commanded to smile. I resisted a mean response because he’s a friend (acquaintance?) Of my boo. I calmly explained that I have chronic bitch face syndrome.
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The thing I like most about Weekend open threads is the option to “like” a post, which we don’t have on the forum…so they’re not interchangeable if you ask me!
It might be opening a big old can of worms but maybe we could have a weekend open thread about which candidate you support for President in 2012? After voting for Obama and being duped by his charismatic speeches, I feel like an idiot for not supporting Ron Paul sooner. Ron Paul for President!
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Oddly I think politics is the one thing we shouldn’t talk about on Dear Wendy.
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I like it when we get into good discussions about issues – issues that come up organically when we’re commenting on letters and stuff. But, I don’t want to know, like, who’s supporting Newt. Know what I mean?
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Yeah, you can’t unhear that.
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But addie, if you vote for newt, you could have the option of living on the moon!!!
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ha! hey, unrelated, if i comment, like, just 3 more times, and no one else does, i will dominate the “recent comments” side bar.
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Should I go for it?
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I dunno, I feel bad.
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Like, that’s a whole lotta Addie Pray up on there.
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I did it!!! All AP in the side list. Don’t say I don’t have goals.
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This last one is for good measure. Like when the mobster shoots the other mobster 12 times in the head just to make sure he’s good and dead. This is just like that.
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By the time I read this you weren’t on the side bar.
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I’m with Sarah. I think politics too easily can get people annoyed with each other.
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+1 on staying away from politics. It’s a sure way to breed antagonism, and forums like this really aren’t the appropriate format IMO.
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I love, love, love the picture of Jackson!. What a beautiful,beaming smile. He is looking so much older now, more like a little boy than a newborn.
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soo has anyone else ever accidentally grabbed the dawn instead of the dishwasher detergent and not realized until their kitchen floor was covered in bubbles? i guess it’s too early for wine? good thing i’m having ice cream for lunch…..
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no, but i’ve definitely grabbed the sour cream instead of the greek yogurt. a mistake that still makes me cringe; i can’t even look at greek yogurt- i just can’t be too sure it’s not sour cream. traumatized to say the least.
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Soooooo does that mean you don’t just eat spoonfulls of sour cream on purpose?
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yulch. that happened awhile go – and i think i even commented about it on here – i was very, very traumatized. sour cream, i do not like it, i do not.
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Ughhhhh I can’t stand it
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Once, when I was like 5, my aunt was babysitting my sister and I and she was running our dishwasher. Se couldn’t find the dishwasher detergent, so she grabbed dawn and said “this will be the same, right?” I replied no, I think that’s a bad idea, but no one listens to the five year old and we ended up with a bubble mess in our kitchen. I still tease my aunt about being right.
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i wish i could blame it on being 5 or even knowing what i had done, and thinking it was ok. i would have stayed in the room and checked on it. i was just cranky this morning and not paying attention. i don’t think i’ve ever been so surprised when i came back in to kitchen before. however, i did learn that if you clean it out you should put vinegar in there and sprinkle salt on the remaining bubbles. hopefully i never have to use that knowledge again!
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I’m so glad you posted this! We’re almost out of dish detergent, and I was thinking to myself, “How much different could liquid dish soap be?”
Whew. Crisis averted!
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oh so different! so very very different! I have now moved the two containers to separate ends of the cabinet. i’m thinking i need to buy a different colored bottle of dish detergent from now on so i never ever make this mistake again!
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Hahaha. You really did save me. How often are you lucky enough to find out AHEAD of time that you’re about to make a really big mistake??
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I loved this blog before she decided to stop. I feel like she has a lot of great, and practical, dating advice: http://datingandmatinginamerica.com/
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I use to like thefrisky.com, but I think some big company bought it because it’s just like the other gossip fashion boys sites now.
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Your kid is the cutest! Love the outfit, and that cute little smile
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